Kid Stuff
by Denise Felt
Summary: Cmdr. Straker and the staff at HQ experience a very unusual day.


**Kid Stuff**

**(A UFO Story)**

by Denise Felt 2010

_A Challenge Story for the SHADO Writers' Guild_.

**Chapter 1**

Straker opened his eyes and lifted his head from his arms. His son stood across the office from him, smiling at him. "Hey, you!" he said sleepily.

John grinned and stepped closer to the desk. "Hi, Dad. That's really cool."

The commander turned his attention to where John was pointing and smiled at the animated mural on the wall behind him. "Yeah, I've always liked it." He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to wake up. It had been a very long night after an even longer day. "Did you enjoy the fire truck?"

His son blinked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah! It was so much fun! Can we ride on it again?"

Straker sat back in his chair and stretched. "Sure. Anytime! I had it brought in specially for you, you know."

"Really?"

John's delight made his father smile. "Really," he assured him.

"Say, Dad," John said as he came up to the desk. "Why were you sleeping?"

Straker stared into those blue eyes so like his own . . . and was abruptly wide awake. His heart gave a great lurch as he realized that he wasn't dreaming. His eight-year-old son was actually standing in front of his HQ desk. "John . . . !" he whispered past a throat suddenly tight with tears.

"What is it, Dad?" his son asked, losing his grin at the expression on his father's face. "What's wrong?"

The commander's eyes devoured his features, taking in every detail of that beloved face. He looked the same. Exactly the same as he had their final day together. John had been eight when he died – _four years ago_. Whoever this was and whatever they wanted, it couldn't be his son standing before him. But he found it impossible to summon security.

He ran a trembling hand across his eyes to get rid of any excess moisture and smiled rather shakily. _Think, for godsake! Think!_ "Was I asleep?" he asked. "I guess I must have been tired."

John shook his head at him. "You're supposed to sleep in your bed, not here." He looked around the office curiously. "Where are we, Dad? This isn't your office."

"Well, actually I have two offices, John."

"Oh." His son shrugged, not understanding why his father needed a second office, but not curious enough to ask about it. "Can we go ride the fire truck now?"

"Um . . ."

The phone beeped just then, and Straker answered it. "Yes?"

"Commander," said Lt. Ford in a strained voice. "Could you come out here for a minute?"

Straker frowned. "What is it, Ford? I'm a little busy at the moment."

"Yes, sir. Sorry to bother you," the lieutenant said. "But we've got a security breach."

"What do you mean?" the commander asked sharply. Did Ford know that John was here in his office?

Lt. Ford gave a heavy sigh. "Sir, there are children in HQ!"

Straker hung up the phone and got up. "Let's go," he said.

As he came around from behind his desk, he reached out a hand and John took it. "To ride the fire truck?" his son asked.

"Perhaps."

The Control room was much noisier than normal – and fuller too. Lt. Johnson sat at her console with her arms around a little girl, and she was sobbing as she held her. Straker could sympathize. Other operatives were chasing after various children as they ran around the room or down the corridors.

Straker held John's hand firmly as he went up to Lt. Ford at his communications console. The lieutenant held a small boy in his lap and tried to keep those small hands from reaching any of the buttons on his console. It was a hopeless task.

"Ford," the commander said as briskly as he could.

"Commander!" the lieutenant said. "We had no warning, sir. No, stop that, Davey! First, we saw a girl in the doorway over there, and Lt. White took off after her. Not that, Davey! Don't touch! Then Ayshea's little sister showed up, and Davey here. I lost count after that, sir."

He looked completely frazzled, and after glancing at the grinning boy on his lap, it was easy for the commander to see why. "Very well, Ford," Straker said. "Has security been alerted?"

Lt. Ford swallowed and held the boy closer as he looked beseechingly at his superior. "No, sir."

Straker sighed. "Listen, Ford. We need to know how widespread this phenomenon is. Can you find out for me?"

The lieutenant nodded. "I'll try, sir." He got on the comm link and checked in with other areas of the base, with occasional 'help' from the boy on his lap. So it only took him three times as long as normal before he turned back to the commander. "It seems to have affected this entire installation, sir."

"The studio?"

"No."

Straker nodded grimly. "Just us down here then."

Ford agreed worriedly, but asked, "Sir, if it's the aliens, it doesn't make sense. Why would they return our loved ones to us?"

"Is that what Davey is, Ford? A loved one who died?"

The lieutenant nodded, glancing at the boy in his arms. "My twin, sir. He drowned in our family's swimming pool when we were three."

"I see."

Ford looked at the young boy still holding Straker's hand; the white blonde hair, the big blue eyes. "Is that your son, sir?"

Straker nodded. He didn't know how Ford had found out that he had a son, but he doubted that much went on in HQ that got past the communications tech. He was the best for a reason. "This is John. John, say hello to Lt. Ford."

"Hello." John was gazing at the buttons covering the surface of the comm station that Davey kept trying to reach. "Do all those buttons work?"

Ford exchanged a grin with the commander before turning back to the boy. "Yes, John. Stop it, Davey! They all work, but I never have to use them all at the same time."

"Oh. Okay."

"Sir?" the lieutenant asked his commander. "I realize that we can't let things stay this way, with people gone from their posts or being distracted from their work by the children. But what can we do?"

Straker could tell by the worry in the lieutenant's eyes that he knew what they needed to do. But the commander understood his reluctance to even suggest it. These were children, after all. Loved ones who had been lost and were now returned. If the aliens had wanted a plan to incapacitate HQ, they couldn't have chosen a better way than this. Because who would call security on a beloved child?

"Where's Col. Lake?" he asked suddenly.

"She was in her office, I think," Ford said, glad that the commander had sidestepped the question.

"Right. Carry on, Lieutenant."

As he strode away, Ford breathed a huge sigh of relief and hugged his brother close.

John turned to his father as they went down the corridor. "Are we going to see the fire truck now, Dad?"

"Not yet, son," the commander answered, wishing it could be that easy.

When Straker and his son entered Col. Lake's office, they found her behind her desk holding a small baby. The eyes that met the commander's were drenched with tears – and devastated. "Sir!" she said softly, shakily.

Straker could see that the baby was asleep, so he whispered, "Yours, Colonel?" He'd known that she had been married briefly in college. It was in her records. But no child had been listed. However, he was no fool, and the way she was holding the baby girl told its own tale.

She nodded, swallowing hard before saying, "Shanna. She . . . died of SIDS when she was four months old." She looked at the tiny girl in her arms, her grey eyes full of love. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"She's as lovely as her mother," he said quietly, realizing that he would not be able to get any help from his most trustworthy colonel in this crisis. "Let me know if you need anything," he told her. Then he and John left the office, almost colliding with a young girl in the corridor.

Lt. White ran up and grabbed her arm, apologizing profusely. "Sorry, sir! Chrissy, let's go find some crayons, okay?"

"Crayons?" John asked.

And Straker got an idea. "Lieutenant," he said briskly. "Are there any crayons on this base?"

White turned red, but nodded. "Yes, sir. I keep a pack at my console. The smell of them reminds me of my daughter."

Straker followed his gaze to where the little girl was talking with John. "Your daughter is still living, isn't she, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir. But my ex-wife moved back to the States. I haven't seen Chrissy in over a year."

Then the phenomenon wasn't limited only to dead children in their pasts, but included all lost children, regardless of whether they were alive or dead. Straker wondered if that fact was significant at all in this odd crisis they found themselves in. He turned to the operative. "Lt. White, I'm putting you in charge of the crayon detail. Set these children up in my office at the conference table and let them color. It will keep them occupied for a while, at least until we decide what to do about them."

"Yes, sir. Come on, Chrissy. Let's go color."

"Okay, Daddy," she said as she came over to him. Then she looked at John. "Can he come too?"

Straker met his son's eager eyes. "Yes, of course," he said. "Go on. Go color."

John gave him a lopsided grin. "Thanks, Dad!" And he headed off down the corridor with Lt. White and his daughter.

Straker felt bereft after he was gone, afraid suddenly that he might not see him again. He almost went after them – but stopped himself in time. That wasn't really his son, no matter what his heart told him. And he had a responsibility to this base that had to take precedence. He took a steadying breath, then headed back to the Control room. If this was a ploy to keep them occupied while the aliens attacked, they needed to be on the alert.

**Chapter 2**

When he got back to the Control room, he found Ford still trying to keep Davey occupied. "There's coloring in my office," he offered.

Davey bounced up and down. "Color, Keithy! Color!"

Lt. Ford looked beseechingly at him. "Sir, he won't sit still for long."

Straker laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Ford. But I have Lt. White keeping an eye on them."

"Oh. Alright," he said with a sigh, letting the boy off his lap. "But I can't guarantee he won't write on the walls."

Straker just grinned, taking Davey's hand and leading him into his office.

Lt. White had a conference table full of children coloring when the commander brought Davey in.

"I appreciate this, Lieutenant," he told him as he handed the boy over to his care.

White grinned sheepishly. "Not a problem, sir. I love kids. I always planned to have six or seven of my own."

Straker looked around the room. "You outdid yourself then, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

"You may want to keep an extra eye on that one," Straker told him.

White chuckled. "What's his name?"

"Davey."

The lieutenant glanced at the boy who was bouncing up and down next to him. "Come on, Davey!" he said. "Let's get you some paper to color on."

"Yippee!" the little boy yelled.

Straker gladly left them to it and headed back to the Control room.

When the alert came, Straker was at lunch with his son in the cafeteria. They had decided that the best way to keep things from getting out of hand would be to take lunch in shifts. That way someone was always working at a console while others took their particular loved ones to eat. It kept the mess in the cafeteria to a minimum, as well.

But when SID announced sighting three UFOs heading to Earth, Straker bit back a sigh and looked at Lt. Johnson, who sat across from them with her young sister. "Ayshea?" he asked.

She smiled back at him. "I'll keep an eye on him, Commander. Don't worry. Go on ahead."

"Thank you." He turned to his son. "John, I have to do something for a few minutes. Will you stay here with Ayshea until I'm done?"

John and Fenetia had been talking about sailing, which John always wanted to do and Fenetia had done many times. So he just nodded absently at his dad and went back to his conversation. The two adults shared a smile at their preoccupation before the commander left the room.

"What's the situation, Ford?" he asked when he reached the Control room.

"Three UFOs, sir. Trajectories coming in now."

"Interceptors?"

"Launched, sir."

"Good." Straker glanced at the readout for the trajectories and was somewhat surprised to find that none of those trajectories included HQ. "Get me Moonbase."

He turned to the monitor as Lt. Ellis came onscreen. "Hello, Gay. Are you experiencing any difficulties on Moonbase?"

She blinked in surprise at the question. "No, sir. Everything is green. Interceptors will make contact with the UFOs in another two minutes."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Keep us informed."

"Yes, sir."

He turned to Ford. "There doesn't seem to be any problems on Moonbase."

"So the phenomenon is localized to HQ only," the lieutenant said. "I wonder why? Do the aliens really think we'd abandon our posts?"

Straker sighed. "It's hard to know what they planned for us, Ford. Maybe they're surprised that we didn't do just that. It's hard to be sure. They're not behaving as I expected either."

"Moonbase to HQ."

Straker turned back to the monitor. "Yes, Gay?"

"The interceptors got two of the UFOs, Commander. The one remaining will be entering Earth's atmosphere in the next ninety seconds."

"Good job, Lieutenant. We'll handle it from here."

"Yes, sir. Moonbase, out."

Straker glanced at Ford. "Get Sky 1 in the air."

"Yes, sir."

After a moment, he looked up at the commander. "Sky 1 is airborne, sir. ETI: three minutes, thirty seconds."

"Good."

"Sir?"

Straker met his worried look. "What is it, Ford?"

"Security is wondering why we're locked down so tight."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Straker sighed and said, "Tell them we're in the middle of an alert. I'll get back with them afterward."

Lt. Ford took a deep breath. "Yes, sir."

After a few minutes, Capt. Carlin radioed in. "I have visual contact, sir. Firing missiles. Detonation, positive. UFO destroyed."

"Good work, Peter," Straker told him.

"Thank you, Commander. Sky 1, returning to base."

Straker turned to Ford. "Get me security, Lieutenant."

Ford swallowed and said, "Yes, sir." He toggled a few switches, then said, "Major Cartwright for you, Commander."

Straker leaned into the mike. "Major, what seems to be the problem?"

"Commander Straker, we're showing that HQ is locked down. Are you running any drills that we were not apprised of, sir?"

"We have an internal security alert, Major, but it's contained at present. Please standby at all exits in case of need."

"Yes, sir! Are you in need of medical assistance?"

Straker broke out in a sweat at the thought of involving Dr. Jackson in this crisis. "No, Major," he said as calmly as he could. "We'll keep you informed of any changes in our situation. Straker, out."

Then he looked at his communications operative and gave him a shaky grin.

"Not bad, sir." Ford's own grin was shaky too.

"It's the art of the bluff, Lieutenant," he said, laying a hand on his shoulder as he went to return to the cafeteria.

"Sir? What will we do with them when it's shift change? We can't file out of here with a bunch of children in tow."

Straker frowned. "Actually, Ford, I'm not sure we can remove them from HQ. If the phenomenon is only occurring here, we could lose them if we take them out."

The lieutenant gulped. "Sir! I can't leave him here! I'm willing to pull a double, if that helps."

The commander sighed. "I somehow don't think security will take kindly to us blockading ourselves in here overnight. No matter what bluff I tell them."

Ford looked stricken.

Straker said, "Listen. Take your lunch break now, Lieutenant. I'll take over for you. Grab Davey from the office and take some quality time with him. Send John back here, if you would. These few hours may be all we'll get."

"Yes, sir."

**Chapter 3**

Lt. Johnson organized a play hour in the gymnasium, so that the children could run around and expend some of their excess energy. Straker watched John skipping rope with the other children, marveling at how well they interacted with one another. It was the only odd note he had found with these 'gifts' from the past. None of the children fought or argued with each other, as normal children tended to do. They all just got along.

Ayshea came and stood at his side at one point as he watched them play. She didn't speak for a long time; just watched them as he was doing. Finally, she said quietly, "I know she isn't my sister, Commander. I know I should be worried about who she really is. But my mind doesn't really have much of a chance to express its concerns – because my heart is just so happy to have her back! I don't know how to fight that. Should I be fighting that?"

He sighed and shook his head. "We can't fight who we are, Lieutenant. Or what we feel. If that dooms us in the end, then so be it."

She met his eyes in surprise, and he could see that despite her words, she had not considered that the children might mean them harm. But after a shocked moment or two, she looked back to where her sister played . . . and smiled at her giggles as she got tangled in the rope.

Straker knew that most of the operatives had thoughts like Ayshea's. The situation was unusual enough that they all had to know it could be an attack in disguise. And in the end, they might have to pay a heavy toll for today's sweetness. He was constantly aware of that fact, even if the others weren't. But as he watched his son run and laugh and play, he knew any price was worth these hours.

"I could move him here."

"Yes, you could. Why don't you try it and see what happens?"

John picked up his knight and placed it on the square he had decided on. Then frowned as his father's bishop slid over and removed the piece from the board.

"Man!" he said in disgust.

Straker grinned and set the pieces back where they'd been. "Try again, John. You're doing well. You've got a good strategy. But it's important to also think about what I'm going to do to try and stop you. After all, there can only be one winner of the game."

"Why, Dad?" John asked him, giving him a direct look from those familiar blue eyes. "Why can't we both win?"

"That's a good question, son," Straker replied. "But games of competition are set up so that you strive to be the best you can be. If everybody wins, why strive at all?"

His son pondered that question for a while. Finally he said, "I think it would take more strategy and thinking to make sure that everyone won the game, rather than just one person. Wouldn't that be a better example of being my best?"

His father gave him a sharp look, but his voice was bland when he said, "It would indeed."

The general consensus of the operatives was that they wanted to stay in HQ until they were forced out. No one wanted to leave the children behind to go home, and everyone was concerned about losing them if they tried to take them out of HQ. So in the end, Straker notified security that there would be no shift change until morning. And hoped like hell that the news wouldn't reach Henderson anytime soon.

It was 2145 when the general contacted him, demanding to know what was going on. Straker had the office mostly to himself by this time, since John had fallen asleep curled up in one of the chairs. The commander ran a hand through his son's hair as he slept, wishing he had more time with him. It didn't even matter anymore that he wasn't really John. It just felt so good to see him, and to be with him.

He answered the call with a sigh. "Yes, General. We've had a situation here that needed our constant attention."

"Is it resolved?" Henderson demanded.

Straker glanced at his son. "Not just yet. We're hoping to have it figured out by morning. We're staying in constant contact with security and will notify them if they're needed."

"Can you give me a rundown of the situation?"

"I'd rather not, sir, until I have more of an idea of what exactly is going on. But I will make sure you get the full report."

"Straker, I think it'd be better if you gave me some clue of what you're facing!" the general said, sounding concerned. "It's not a good idea to keep security completely in the dark like this."

The commander sighed, knowing the general had a valid point. But if Henderson knew what their current situation was, he'd never sit back and leave them to handle it. He'd send in security immediately and take the children out. And then turn them over to Dr. Jackson for analysis. "You need to trust me to take care of this situation, General. Any outside influence could cause untold damage. I'll keep you informed and let you know by morning if there's any change."

The general had eventually acquiesced, but Straker knew it was a temporary reprieve. If they didn't have some idea by morning why the children had been sent here, they were going to have to face security coming in and taking over. And that was not going to be pleasant for anyone involved. It really made no sense that the aliens had done this to confound them. Yes, having children in a military post made running that post problematic, but it could be handled – they had proven that. All it had taken was some adjustment to the way things were done. So they really gained nothing by such a ploy. The UFO attack had been handled without HQ needing to even get that involved , and the ships hadn't been heading toward England in the first place.

Straker was very concerned, because this didn't seem to be something the aliens would try anyway. They really didn't understand the way humans thought, which Straker had always considered a good thing. If they ever did figure out how easy it was to mess up a human, he knew Earth wouldn't stand a chance against them. And this situation spoke very clearly of an intelligence that understood human thinking. And how humans valued their children. So he was worried that they were dealing with someone else – someone who not only knew humans, but had the technology to bring their most secret dreams to life. Because the children were real. There was no doubt about that. This John had all the mannerisms of his son, down to his lopsided grin. Not to mention all his memories. So what was the point? What could anyone possibly prove by sending them here?

Or were they waiting until a confrontation was forced on them? Because things could get pretty traumatic in the morning if the children were still here when security charged in to the rescue. Straker knew he himself would find it impossible not to protect John with his own life, even knowing that the boy was not really his son. Was that what those who set this scenario up wanted? All the operatives of HQ to die for children who in reality weren't even those they had known and loved?

He didn't know. And what he didn't know had him sitting in his chair worrying about the situation all through the night as he watched his son sleep.

Col. Lake entered his office quietly around 0430. Shanna lay in her arms looking around with the inquisitive stare of the very young. She was a beautiful child, with soft blonde wisps on her round head, large grey eyes, and a pouty mouth.

"How are you doing?" he asked as she sat in a chair near where John slept.

"I'm afraid it didn't really even occur to me that there might be a problem with the children being here," she said. "It was such a wonderful surprise that I didn't think beyond that. Until I realized that we can't stay here with them forever. Sooner or later, we have to leave HQ. And then what will become of them?"

"Sooner than that, I'm afraid," he said. "Security will demand entrance with the morning shift. If we don't have things settled by then . . ."

She whitened, holding her daughter closer. "We can't! Commander, we can't let them take them away!"

He ran a weary hand across his eyes. "I understand how you feel, believe me! But you need to realize that we will probably all die trying to keep them from being taken. Because security won't understand, Colonel. To them, these children are intruders. And in essence, that's what they are."

"What harm would Shanna do to anyone?" she demanded with tears in her eyes.

He sighed. "She can get you killed defending her, Colonel."

She shook her head – not denying his reasoning, but denying that her daughter would have that goal in mind. "It has meant so much to me to have her back, Commander. Even for this one day. I never got to say good-bye to her before. There were so many things we never got to do – until today. Why would someone give her back to me – give me everything we never had together – then use her to destroy me? It doesn't make sense!"

"Unless they are using them like a Trojan Horse; to give us a reason to celebrate, to allay our suspicions – and make us easy prey."

She gazed at him in horror. "They're children!"

"Are they?" he asked quietly. "We don't really know that, do we? We don't know who or what they really are, Colonel. Except that we do know who they're _not_. They're not who they seem to be. Because those children are gone – and have been gone a long time."

She looked at John asleep on the chair. "Will you let security take him then? Examine him? Torture him if necessary to find out who he is and what he wants?"

"No." He met her eyes. "I will die trying to keep him out of their grasp. I've accepted that. I said that they could be a Trojan Horse, Colonel. I didn't say that they wouldn't be an effective one."

At 0630 Commander Straker issued a bulletin throughout the complex for all operatives to say their good-byes and bring the children to his office.

At 0645 Straker put Col. Lake in charge of the entire group while they colored, since she was the only one with a baby. The rest of the staff manned their consoles, although a few stood with the commander outside his closed and locked office door – waiting for security to arrive with the change of shift at 0700.

At one point, Ayshea slipped her hand into his. He pressed it for a moment, silently offering what comfort he could. Then he let it go.

The shift that came in to relieve them found them very subdued. The operatives surrendered their positions without their usual comments or small jokes. But instead of leaving, they made their way over to where the commander stood and joined him there. The incoming shift gave each other bewildered looks, but no one asked any questions. It seemed too somber in HQ this morning for questions.

Major Cartwright approached his commanding officer somewhat hesitantly. He'd felt all along that he was being stalled, purposefully kept outside the loop of events in HQ. It made no sense for the commander to hold him off like that. Security was here to help, after all.

But Commander Straker did not look appreciative of their help when the major entered the Control room with the change of shift at 0700. He stood at his office door, his face impassive, but his eyes hard. Some of the other operatives from yesterday stood with him, their expressions just as stern. What had happened here?

"Commander Straker," Cartwright said as he reached them. "What is your situation, sir?"

Other operatives from yesterday's shift were joining them as he spoke, so that there was now a wall of people standing behind the commander, blocking his office door from view. The commander didn't seem to even notice them. He kept his gaze on the major. "HQ has been infiltrated, Major," he said quietly. "Please inform your superiors that the entire shift that worked yesterday has been affected and will not cooperate in any efforts to remove the invaders."

Cartwright blinked in shock. What the commander was saying so calmly was a worst-case scenario. He'd only ever handled those in simulation; not with real people. People he knew and respected. "Sir?" he asked, wanting Straker to deny his words. _Sorry, Cartwright. Just a practical joke, you know_. Except that Commander Straker never joked.

"Please, Major. Just relay the information."

The major gulped. "Yes, sir." He turned aside and radioed upstairs.

**Chapter 4**

Col. Freeman stalked into Straker's outer studio office and glowered at the man who stood near Miss Ealand's desk. "I hope to hell you've got a good reason for hauling me back across the Atlantic before I've even finished my evaluations!"

Dr. Jackson gave the colonel his slight Slavic bow in response. "SHADO is experiencing a situation unlike any we have ever encountered before, Colonel. We need you here."

Freeman frowned and looked from the doctor to Miss Ealand. "What's wrong? I thought the UFO attack yesterday went just fine. Didn't we get all three?"

"Yes," the doctor said. "We got all three of the UFOs. However, the situation in HQ has deteriorated to the point where the day staff locked down the facility and would not allow the night shift to enter."

"What?" Alec was flabbergasted. "That's – that's unheard of!"

Jackson gave that small bow again. "Exactly, Colonel. They have allowed the shift change this morning, but I doubt very much if this situation has resolved itself overnight. I am waiting to hear from security as to the current conditions in the base."

Freeman shook his head in bewilderment. "But wasn't Ed here? He would never have allowed such a thing to happen! Or did he get locked out too?"

The doctor tilted his head, looking ironically at the colonel for a moment before answering. "Commander Straker was the one who authorized the lock-down, Colonel."

Alec just stared at him in open-mouthed shock.

A small twitch at the corner of his mouth was the only sign that Jackson might have found his expression humorous. He said, "That is why I sent for you, Col. Freeman. If anyone can reason with the commander, it would be you."

Alec turned to Miss Ealand. "What happened? Did someone call him or visit? He was fine when I talked to him two days ago."

"No, Colonel," she said. "He hasn't had any visitors, and I have sent no calls downstairs. As far as I know, he spent the night in HQ, then all day yesterday as well. No one has come up from yesterday's shift, and as the doctor said, no one was allowed down until just a few minutes ago."

Before Alec could say anything – not that he had any idea what that might have been – the phone on the desk rang, and Miss Ealand answered it. "For you," she said after a moment, handing the receiver to Jackson.

He took it, but did not appear to be pleased with what he was being told. "No, Major," he said finally. "Do not force the issue. I am sending down reinforcements. Standby."

He handed the phone back to Miss Ealand, a look on his face that Freeman had never seen before. Beyond worry, it was almost a look of desperation. He turned to the colonel and said, "Col. Freeman, it would seem that SHADO HQ is in the midst of a crisis unlike any other we have ever experienced. Apparently, HQ has been invaded by aliens, but the staff is protecting them from security for reasons of their own. I need you to try to talk to the commander and find out exactly what has occurred since yesterday to cause such a change in attitude. We don't want this situation to get out of control."

"Right."

"I don't know at this point how the staff was coerced into acting in this manner, Colonel. It is to be hoped that you will not find yourself similarly affected by being exposed to them. However, it is a risk we must take if we are to get to the bottom of the situation without casualties."

"Casualties?" Alec asked fiercely. "You're talking about the commander of this entire organization, Jackson! That's hardly just a casualty you're referring to! That would be a catastrophe!"

The doctor sighed, suddenly looking much older. "I am aware, Colonel. Please keep me informed concerning the situation. I sincerely hope that you will be able to reason with Commander Straker and resolve this crisis in a satisfactory manner."

"Right," Freeman said, but in an much less confident tone than before. He headed into the studio office and opened the cigar case on the desk, worried about his friend and commanding officer more than he would ever allow the doctor to see. What the _hell _had happened here?

Straker was disconcerted to see his good friend enter the Control room. "Alec! What are you doing here?"

Freeman took in the wall of personnel behind the commander, then shifted his eyes to meet those of his friend. Straker looked resolute, which did not make the colonel hopeful that he might be able to sway him onto a more reasonable path. He also looked dismayed, which meant that he hadn't wanted Alec involved in this crisis. Well, maybe that could be made to work in the colonel's favor.

"Hello, Ed! It seems that I can't leave you alone for a minute without you getting into trouble. What's up?"

The commander looked back at him in silence, then came to a decision. "We are hosting an alien delegation of sorts, Alec. They arrived early yesterday morning, and we don't know how long they plan to stay. We also have no way of finding out why they're here or what they want. For us, it's been enough that they're here. You'll understand when you see them."

Alec swallowed. "You're gonna let me see them then?"

"Yes. It's the easiest way to explain the situation to you." He turned to the operative working at the comm station. "Lt. Anderson?"

The lieutenant jerked slightly at hearing her name. The tension was so thick in HQ that she had been following their conversation closely, wondering what was going on. Therefore, she'd been shocked to be directly addressed. "Yes, Commander?"

"Contact Col. Lake in my office, please. Tell her to unlock the door. I'm sending in Alec."

"Yes, sir."

Alec tried to get an idea of just what he was going to be exposed to when he went into Straker's office, but his friend's expression gave nothing away. Ed was at his most stoic, another bad sign as far as Alec was concerned. His friend wasn't expecting this crisis to be resolved peacefully; that much he could tell. Great. Just great.

After a moment, the office door slid open, and the crowd in front of it parted slightly to allow him access. He looked at his friend as he came closer. "Ed?"

Straker's eyes lost their hard look as he said, "You shouldn't have come, Alec. I'm sorry. I wanted to keep you out of this."

Alec stared into those blue eyes for a long moment, knowing that whatever lay beyond that door was going to be nothing close to what he was expecting. Then he walked between the operatives and entered the office.

When he came out of the office several minutes later, he had tears in his eyes. He came over to his commander, his friend, and said softly, "I get it, Ed. Believe me, I understand the situation. But . . ."

"Yes," Straker said tersely. "_But_."

The colonel sighed heavily. "Ed, surely you can see that things can't stay as they are?"

"Oh, yes. I'm quite aware of that, Alec. I think all of us here are aware that something has to be done to get HQ back to normal running status."

"Then where's the problem?"

The commander met his eyes. "What will become of them, Alec? Would you turn them over to security? To Jackson?"

Alec winced. Of course. Dr. Jackson was the problem. These were aliens, after all, no matter how human they looked, and they had infiltrated Earth's most important defense structure. Jackson would not rest without getting to the bottom of it all. And the good doctor would have no scruples about interrogating children – even children who obviously had no idea that anything unusual was even going on. Finally, the colonel said, "Well, I'll tell him what we've got here. See what he says. Maybe something can be done to keep this from becoming a bloodbath."

"Do that, Alec. It's worth a try. But don't come back down here after you've spoken to him. I don't want you involved in this in any way."

"Ed . . ."

"Listen!" Straker took his arm, forcing him to meet his eyes. "SHADO will need you. Earth will need you. Dammit, Alec! There's no one else I can turn things over to! I'm counting on you!"

Alec just stared at him, then abruptly nodded and left the Control room without saying another word.

Within fifteen minutes, a double line of soldiers entered the Control room and took up position across from the staff in front of Straker's office. They formed two rows, one kneeling in front of the other, so that every weapon was trained without hindrance on the people opposite them. Straker was surprised that Major Cartwright was not among them.

Then Dr. Jackson entered the Control room, walking unhurriedly toward the group by the office. His Slavic face seemed more expressionless than normal, and Straker knew with a flash of insight that the major had refused to participate in what the doctor had planned for them. _Good for you, Cartwright_, the commander thought. _Always knew you were a good man_.

"Commander Straker," the doctor said. "Will you please step away from the door and allow security to apprehend the aliens in your office?"

"No."

The doctor's lips thinned at that bare monosyllable. "Will you order these operatives to move away from the door, so that we may apprehend the aliens?"

"No."

A thin brow was raised, taunting him. "You would let these men and women die with you? You would encourage this treason to the point of adding their deaths to yours?"

Straker looked around him at the faces of those who stood with him. Then he turned back to the doctor. "I won't order them to do anything against their own conscience, Doctor. They are free to stay or go as they choose."

"We're staying!" Ayshea said fiercely. "We won't let you have them!" And her words were swiftly echoed by the others until their impassioned voices filled the room.

Jackson seemed to sigh. "You do realize that these creatures you are protecting are not your children, your siblings, your loved ones? They are intruders, aliens in disguise that are trying to subvert you to their own agenda. There is no need for you to die for them. They are not worth it. In fact, it is quite possible that they have been sent here for this express purpose – to cause your deaths!" His gaze swept through the group, trying to make an impression on them, trying to avert the destruction that hung over them.

"Please walk away. Go to your homes. No action will be taken against you if you leave now. Please!"

No one so much as shifted their footing.

But just as he turned to give the order to fire, Straker spoke. His voice was quiet, but the silence in the Control room was so complete that he was easily heard.

"What harm have they done, Doctor? What crime have they committed?"

Jackson turned to him in surprise. "Commander, they are aliens! They have infiltrated this base in disguise for reasons of their own, and you can ask what crime they've committed?"

"All they've done, Jackson, is to allow us to relive a few happy memories. Given us a chance to make up for lost hours, lost years. They haven't done any harm at all. In fact, HQ suffered no loss in efficiency during the UFO attack that occurred yesterday – _while the children were here!_ They're not aggressive. They're not confrontational. They've done no one here any harm, nor have they offered anyone any violence. Can you say the same? Can you stand there with your assault weapons and your self-righteous views on what defines a human and claim the same kind of humanity they've shown?"

A murmur went up throughout the Control room as operatives at their stations began to recover from the shock of the moment and start to think. The doctor's nostrils flared momentarily, but then he gave a small nod and said, "Yes. Of course, Commander. They are not the invaders. We are. We who give our lives to protect Earth every day by your side. We are the ones who don't belong here. Not them. Not those who have tricked you into believing that they are your own lost loved ones. Not those who come in the disguise of children, who no one in their right mind would doubt the sincerity of. Not these aliens – invaders – beings with an agenda we cannot begin to know or guess! Really, Commander. Have you so lost your objectivity that you can't see what they're doing?"

Straker sighed as the noise in the Control room died back down. It had been worth a try, to at least make the effort to get them to see these aliens in a light other than destructive or malicious. But the paranoia that prevailed throughout the organization toward anything perceived as alien was just too firmly embedded after all these years to change in a moment. They'd done it themselves actually by always lumping the aliens into one whole, never considering for a moment how vast the universe was or how easy it would be for another race to come to Earth.

And they would pay the price for that obtuseness today. Not only with the deaths of all who stood trying to protect these children, nor even with the deaths (or worse) of the children themselves. But with the inevitable destruction of the entire planet when the race that sent these scouts here learned of their treatment at the hands of the Earthlings. _God_ – Straker thought from the depths of his heart, in this final moment needing to draw on a higher power – _please forgive us for our stupidity! Don't make the whole world pay for our blindness! _

"Discussion is useless, Doctor," he said. "You can't see what we've seen. Or know what we've known these past hours. We've chosen our side. We will stand for what is right. Even if it doesn't agree with your definition of the term. Do your worst."

"You are right, Commander," Jackson said sadly. And Straker almost believed for a moment that he truly was sad. "Discussion is useless." He turned to the soldiers that awaited his order . . .

. . . and the door to Straker's office slid opened.

**Chapter 5**

Dr. Jackson whirled back around, astonished by this unexpected development. Then he noticed that the commander was looking just as startled. Startled and dismayed. So. This was not part of the program. Jackson signaled the soldiers to lower their weapons and awaited events.

Straker moved through the surrounding crowd as if through water, reaching Col. Lake in the doorway of the office within moments. He glanced into the office and saw that it was empty. Good. At least she had gotten the children out as they had planned. But why had she stayed behind? "Virginia?" he asked softly, seeing the tears on her face.

"They're gone, Ed," she said.

"Yes, I can see that. Why didn't you go with them?"

She shook her head. "No. You don't understand. I didn't sneak them out. They left. Only a minute ago, they all just disappeared. They're gone, Ed. They're gone!"

He moved past her into the office. No one was hiding behind his desk or under the conference table. And the mural on his wall behind the desk was still intact. They had not used the secret elevator to escape as they had planned. It had been a risk. The children might have disappeared once they were outside the confines of HQ. But it had been the only plan they could come up with to save them.

He turned back to her, his face as stricken as hers. "They're really gone?"

She nodded, saying with a sob, "I'm sorry! I had no warning. One minute they were all coloring, then – they were gone."

_No warning_. Just as they had come, they had left. Without any explanation, without any words at all, they had simply left as quietly as they had come. Straker looked around the empty room; there was no way he could possibly be blind to the timing of it all. He came back out of the office, laying a hand on this or that shoulder as he passed, but not saying anything until he reached the front of the crowd and faced Jackson once more.

"Well, Doctor," he said as blandly as he could while his heart ached with losing his son once more. "It seems as though this chess game has been cancelled on us. The aliens you were so worried about have left. Without any threats. Without any bloodshed. Without taking over the world. I hope you consider what that might mean to us all in the larger scheme of things. I know I'll be thinking about it a lot in the days to come."

Jackson turned white and came forward, shoving through the dispersing crowd quickly to survey the empty office. He turned after a moment and met the commander's eyes. "Are you sure they're gone, Commander?"

Straker shrugged. "It's not really my problem anymore, is it, Doctor? Someone else will have to deal with them – if and when they return. Just do us all a favor next time and don't overreact." And with those words, he left the office to go with security to a detention room until his court martial.

After all, he had committed treason.

Alec came and visited with him in his detention room. Out of respect for his position (or perhaps, out of respect for his claustrophobia) they had given him a fairly large room. The walls were plain, but he whiled away his time by thinking of all the paintings he would decorate them with if given the chance. _A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte_, perhaps. Or _The Birth of Venus_. Something with a lot of detail that he could immerse himself in and forget what awaited him. Dying wasn't so hard, really. It was the waiting that was excruciating.

Sometimes he thought it would have been better to be gunned down.

But he said none of that to Alec. Instead he joked with the colonel about his new duties – duties he was handling very well, considering that he'd never wanted them.

But Alec didn't give him an answering grin. He merely said that he'd been copying what he'd watched his commander do for years. He wasn't too bad of a mimic, it seemed.

"Alec, I don't want you to take this so hard," Straker told him. "Let me handle the hard part." It was all wrong to see his friend so somber. Freeman had always been the clown of their friendship. Straker didn't think he was doing too well with the role reversal, especially since Alec didn't even crack a smile at his witticisms.

"They should have pardoned you," his friend said for the fiftieth time. "Like they did the others."

Straker sighed. And gave him the same answer he'd given the last forty-nine times. "They couldn't, Alec. The others were easy. There would have been a severe drop in morale if they'd killed off an entire shift of workers. Besides the problems with getting new staff on short notice. But someone had to be the sacrifice, the token death for all of them, in order to demonstrate just how serious the breach was. And you can't deny that it was a serious breach, Alec."

His friend sighed heavily. "There were extenuating circumstances."

Straker smiled sadly. "There always are – for treason."

"You never committed treason, Ed! What you did, you did for the good of SHADO! I know it, you know it, and they know it. The whole trial was a sham! A mockery to make Jackson not look like the bastard he is! Damn it, Ed! Why didn't you say something – do something! – to stop them from giving that verdict?"

Straker's smile was wry. "What could I have done? Contrary to what you've always believed about me, Alec, I'm not omniscient. I could tell from the outset the way things were going to go, and I didn't have any idea how to stop it. The best I could come up with was a way to minimize the damage. And it just seemed a lot better all around for one to die than for all of us to suffer the consequences of that day. It was such a lovely day, Alec. The best I've have in . . . oh, _ever_, I guess. It's okay for me to die now, having had that time to spend with John. I don't think he'll be quite so angry with me when I see him again. You know?"

"Damn it, Ed!" Freeman said gruffly, fighting tears.

Straker patted his shoulder. "You shouldn't have cussed Jackson out from the stand, Alec. Even though it did my heart good to hear you do it. You don't want to make an enemy of him. He has his uses, after all, and SHADO needs him. Just as it needs you."

"We need you more."

"Well . . ." Straker gave his shoulder one more pat before sitting back against the cushions of the couch. "Promise me one thing."

Alec sighed. "Yeah. I know. If we run into those aliens again, don't make any quick judgments. Trust me. I won't. I saw those kids, remember?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Alec. Thanks for coming one last time to see me."

"Can I . . . ? Is there anything you need?"

"No. I'm fine. They'll be bringing me my dinner soon. I asked for lobster. I guess I've been thinking about home a lot lately. Growing up in Boston . . . eating shellfish whenever I wanted . . . Oh, and I'm going to have a glass of wine with my meal." He grinned. "I know you'd approve."

Freeman tried to smile in return, but it was a poor effort. "I won't say good-bye. I can't!"

"It's alright," Straker assured him. "It's not really good-bye anyway, is it? I have a hard time believing that death will be the end, especially after seeing John again. Maybe we should just say _au revoir_. Or _hasta la vista_. Take care of things for me, Alec. I'll be watching over your shoulder whenever I can."

Alec shook his head. "Knowing you, you will too," he said gruffly as he stood and went to the door. But when he reached it, he just stood there a moment. Then he turned and looked one last time at his best friend. "Ed . . . !"

Strake smiled sweetly. "It's okay, Alec. I know. I love you too."

Freeman nodded, his voice suspended with tears as he left the room.

They had given him his choice of methods, which was really very magnanimous of them. He had chosen fentanyl, a narcotic that would shut off his respiratory functions as he lost consciousness. It would be a painless death, and perhaps more than he deserved for defying his orders so completely.

He hadn't done it for SHADO, as Alec wanted to believe. He hadn't even done it for Earth, when it came down to it. In the end, he had done what he had done for his son. Because he couldn't bear to fail him a second time. It was really that simple.

Dr. Schroeder visited him to administer the drug, a considerate move that Straker could not help appreciating. He had wondered if he would be forced to see Jackson again. The doctor looked grief-stricken to have been given this duty, and Straker chatted quietly with him to help put him at ease. It was ironic, really, for the prisoner to be giving comfort to his executioner. But Straker didn't mind. Schroeder was a good doctor, and didn't deserve to have this on his conscience. But since the only other choice of doctor would have been Jackson, he could only be glad that Schroeder had accepted the duty.

He smiled calmly at Schroeder as the doctor administered the injection. He felt a warmth immediately enter his bloodstream, with a lethargy following close behind. He felt free suddenly of all his cares . . . and the greater care of the world that he'd carried so long. His smile widened involuntarily. It felt wonderful to be free . . .

**Epilogue**

Commander Freeman dragged himself into his house and leaned wearily against the door to shut it. He closed his eyes for a moment to keep the tears at bay, then tore at his tie and tossed it on the floor as he went to the drink cabinet for a whiskey.

God, he hated funerals!

He carried his glass to the back of the house to look out the french doors at the young sapling that stood just beyond his patio. He'd planted it the day Ed had died. It was a more fitting tribute than that circus of a funeral he'd just attended. 'Highest honors', 'dedicated officer', and all that bullshit! They'd killed him, hadn't they? Them with their pious words about dedication. What did they know of the word? Ed had been the best example of dedication that Alec had ever seen in all his long years of service in the military. He'd even died for it. And those who killed him dared to speak of that dedication as if they had a right . . . !

He would have loved to strangle them all, starting with Henderson. But he hadn't. He'd remembered what his friend had told him. Even bastards like Gen. Henderson had their uses. And the general was feeling just guilty enough over Ed's death that Alec had been able to squeeze him for the money to upgrade the Skydiver fleet. He grinned as he thought about it and raised his glass to the young maple outside. "You'd have been proud of me, Ed!" he said with a grin and downed the whiskey.

"Why? What'd you do now?"

He whirled at the voice behind him – a voice he had never expected to hear again in this lifetime – and stared incredulously at Straker as he leaned against the doorway to the study, his arms crossed negligently and his face softly smiling.

"_Ed!_"

"Hi, Alec!" Straker grinned, then came forward as his old friend's knees buckled under him. He grabbed him by the arms and led him to the living room couch. "It's alright, Alec," he said soothingly to the white-faced man. "You're not seeing a ghost. It's really me."

Freeman shook his head, trying to clear it. "But you – ! But they – !"

Straker nodded. "I know. Wild, isn't it?"

"But – but I just came from your funeral!" the commander sputtered.

"Oh, yeah? How was it?"

Freeman grunted. "It sucked, if you want the truth."

Straker threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, God! I can imagine! Was Henderson all stiff and spouting about honor and duty and all that? And Jackson – was he properly demure and silent, keeping his eyes downcast?"

"Yeah. How did you know? Were you there?"

"No, no! I had better things to do than attend that mockery. Besides, I could imagine it all too well!"

"Ayshea cried. So did Ginny."

Straker looked at him, a wry smile twisting his lips. "I should have called her Ginny, you know. I always wanted to."

"Why didn't you?" Alec asked. If he was going to entertain a dead man, the least he could do was pump him for information.

Straker shrugged. "Oh, worried about protocol and stupid stuff like that, of course! And I guess I always assumed that she would get tired of me fairly quickly if I let myself get involved with her. Then where would I be?"

Freeman's eyes widened. "You loved her?"

His friend gave him a look. "Come on, Alec! Do you really have to ask? Of course, I loved her. She's an exceptional woman. I always thought you would pursue her."

Freeman grunted into his empty glass. "Not a chance! I know trouble when it's looking at me with big grey eyes."

Straker grinned. "She does have pretty eyes, doesn't she?"

After a moment, Alec got up to refresh his drink. He downed a glassful, then poured himself another before turning back to his friend. "So, are you really here, Ed? Or am I losing it?"

Straker grinned. "It's really me, Alec. I promise. Here, touch my arm. I'm quite solid."

Freeman touched his arm, which really was solid. But his frown didn't fade as he took his seat on the couch again. "Are you one of those aliens then, here to talk me into going against orders?"

"No, Alec," said his friend quietly. "But they're the reason I'm here."

"What do you mean? Did they somehow resurrect you or something?"

"Yes," Straker said with a grin. "That's exactly what they did."

"How?"

"Well, apparently drugs that we find fatal aren't really that way to them – if they're caught in time, of course. They simply waited until the last of the doctors had pronounced me dead and left, then they took me to their ship and revived me."

Alec realized that his mouth was hanging open, so he closed it. "Just like that? You mean, they're still here?"

"Hmmm," Straker said with a small smile. "They're not done with their determination yet."

"That sounds ominous," his friend remarked.

"As it should."

"Wait a minute!" Alec said suddenly. "What about your body? There was a body in that coffin, damn it! I helped carry the damned thing, after all. I know it wasn't a bunch of bricks!"

"Alec, Alec!" Straker said, shaking his head. "Of course, there was a body. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make one person look like another, if you know what you're doing. And a dead body is even easier, because then you don't have to worry about speech inflections or memories."

Alec drew a breath. "Then, you mean those kids . . . ?"

"Weren't kids," finished his friend. "But they were very believable, all the same."

"What do they want with you, Ed?" Freeman asked. "Why did they save you?"

Straker grinned. "That's the cool part, Alec! They're keeping an eye on Earth. It seems that we've been suggested for admittance in their alliance of planets, and they came to see if we were human enough to be submitted for consideration."

"And did we pass? Or fail?"

"Well . . ." Straker grimaced. "Actually, a little of both. Some of us passed the test with flying colors. But others, well . . ." And he shrugged.

"You mean Jackson and his band of merry men, don't you?"

Ed nodded. "They didn't make us look very good, Alec. But apparently, these guys were so pleased with the rest of us that they thought we should be given another opportunity to prove ourselves. So when they saw how things were going for me, they waited and took me when they had the chance. They've made me an ambassador for Earth in their alliance. They want all the help they can get to know us better, so that they can eventually make a clear decision about whether to invite us to join."

"You mean, you're not coming back?"

His friend sighed. "Alec. There's no way I can come back. Everyone thinks I'm dead, remember? Besides, I can do more for Earth in my present job than I ever could as commander of SHADO. And I can still keep an eye on all of you. Make sure you're doing okay – and don't have to deal with too much hassle from the rest."

Alec sighed. His friend looked truly excited about his new circumstances, which made it hard to be sorry for him. But Alec was glad it wasn't him that had to live with a bunch of aliens onboard some ship Earth's radar obviously wasn't capable of detecting. "So, when will they be testing us again, Ed? Will you give us the heads-up, so we can be prepared?"

Unexpectedly, Straker shook his head. "I can't, Alec. That would prejudice the test. You're just going to have to behave yourselves. Try to encourage everyone at SHADO to be as human as

they can. You know, the golden rule and all that."

Freeman looked appalled. "You mean, even with the aliens who are trying to kill us?"

Straker grinned. "Of course not! You don't lay down during a war, Alec. Just try to remember to always be humane in your decisions for SHADO. The rest will be easy."

Freeman grunted. "That's what you say!"

Ed shook his hand. "I'll miss you, Alec. But I'll keep an eye on you whenever I can. Okay? I did promise to do that, after all. Not quite like this, but still . . . !"

Alec cleared his throat. "Don't go too far away, Ed! I might need your help keeping on top of things at HQ."

Straker grinned. "You'll do fine."

"And Earth?" the new commander asked.

Straker patted his shoulder. "Earth will do fine too, Alec. I intend to make sure of it."

With that, he was gone. And Alec Freeman sank back onto the couch to consider everything that had just transpired. _Ed was alive. Ed was working for Earth still. Ed would be helping these aliens decide if Earth could be trusted to be a part of their alliance_. Slowly, he began to grin.

Being commander suddenly didn't seem like that hard a job after all.


End file.
